Explaining Truth
How do you explain the truth of God?
Verse of the Day
‘Work hard so you can present yourself to God and receive his approval. Be a good worker, one who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly explains the word of truth.’
Today’s Devotional
I have a friend who was reading a book that was written in the 1930’s. The wording and language was not familiar to her, so she decided that this book had no value to her. And while I strongly disagreed with her about the value of the book, I understood why she was making this decision. The language, since it was not familiar, made her feel stupid. As humans, many of us tend to shy away from things that make us feel stupid.
How does one go about not feeling stupid when it comes to the Bible?
Repeated exposure.
It’s that simple.
Now, let’s dissect today’s verse a little. Paul is the author of this verse, and it was written to Timothy. Paul had left Timothy in Ephesus to help lead a church that was struggling due to some other people who were not staying true to the gospel of Jesus. Luckily for us, this letter to Timothy is now part of our Bible, because it contains wise words of encouragement as we try to live out our faith in a very secular world.
“Work hard” This is good advice to all of us. Not to just do a good job at our employment or anywhere else, but in our faith and understanding of Scripture. Strong faith requires effort, intention, and active participation with God to carry out His will in our lives. I can’t tell you what that means for you, but for me it requires DAILY reading of the Word, prayer, journaling, and worship. If I miss a day, it is immediately evident in my attitude.
“Present yourself to God and receive his approval” This is such a beautiful reminder of Whose approval we should be seeking. I confess that one of my struggles is wondering what others might be thinking of me. This is a wasted use of my mental capacities. I should only ever be concerned with whether or not God approves of my choices, my thoughts, my actions, and my words. And when I get it wrong, which I often do, I must quickly confess and change my ways. And if I ever wonder what God approves of, the Spirit always directs me right back to Scripture. God was kind enough to write down for us what He approves of so that we could refer to it often.
“Be a good worker” This is a bit of a repetition of “work hard”, but it is explained in a little more detail in the following two phrases.
“One who does not need to be ashamed” Have you ever done anything at work that you were ashamed of? Have you ever cut corners or exaggerated and then been caught? If we don’t ever behave in a way that contradicts the Gospel, then we have nothing to be ashamed of. Let me give you a silly example. Today I tried to update the address in my Driver’s License online. After entering all of my information, the website informed me that I am not eligible to make these changes online and must go in person to the DPS office. (Ugh.) When I researched why this was the case, there were several possible (benign) reasons listed, and the last reason listed was that one’s license had been revoked or restricted due to violations. Well, I have nothing to be ashamed of in this matter. I have not done anything wrong in this area. So I made my in-person appointment and moved on with my day. It may be slightly inconvenient, but it’s nothing to worry about. Do we treat our faith in this same way? We will all make mistakes, but are we quick to confess and change? If not, we might be ashamed. Are there secrets sin struggles that we are not bringing to light and getting help? Are we being diligent in our faith, or are we ashamed of our lackadaisical efforts?
“Who correctly explains the word of truth” Most of us are not preachers, pastors, or ministers. But all of us live an example of faith (or lack thereof). Am I, with my actions, correctly showing you the love of God? Most of us are not asked to interpret Scripture, but how we live shows people what we believe. Just today I heard a beautiful example of this. A friend went to a seminar with her brother hoping HE would learn some things and make some changes. Instead, SHE was convicted of some things she needed to work on. And she was willing to share that. THAT is a correct explanation of truth. We all have things that need to be exposed and corrected. That’s the beauty of spiritual growth. And if anyone ever does ask you to interpret something from the Bible and you aren’t sure, it’s 100% acceptable to admit that you don’t know.
The most effective way to explain the word of truth is with our lives. With how we speak to people. With how we treat each other. With our willingness to serve, even when it’s inconvenient. With following God’s will instead of our own. With sharing the amazing things God is doing in our lives. With being grateful. With living a life of joy, even in the midst of struggle.
Journal Prompts
Answer only the questions that seem relevant to you today.
Are you intimidated by the Bible?
How hard are you working on your faith? On your knowledge of the Bible? How could you improve in this area?
How can you divert your mind from seeking the approval of others?
How can you seek God’ approval today?
Is there anything you are ashamed of? If so, what do you need to do about it?
How is your life explaining Scripture to those you encounter?
How comfortable would you be if someone asked you to explain something in the Bible?